MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Sunday, 1 February 2026 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Saturday, 31 January): BRATISLAVA - Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) has accepted the resignation of his adviser Miroslav Lajcak who has decided to step down due to his communication with late US financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, TASR reported after Fico announced the decision on a social network on Saturday. According to the prime minister, by resigning from this post, Lajcak proved himself to be a great diplomat. "It's been a long time since I've seen so much hypocrisy in criticism that's coming from all directions. Well, if there's nothing serious, anything will do when making an attack on me, even if it's being absolutely rejected by Miro Lajcak," remarked Fico, adding that with Lajcak's resignation, Slovakia is losing a source of experience in diplomacy and foreign policy. The US Department of Justice said Friday (30 January) that it was disclosing more than three million pages of documents related to the Epstein case. Several prominent public figures have appeared in the files released so far, including US President Donald Trump, former US president Bill Clinton, and former Slovak foreign minister Lajcak (2012-20), whose name also appears in the new documents mentioning young girls or the possibility of communication between Fico and far-right US politician Steve Bannon. BRATISLAVA - Disciplinary proceedings initiated by Slovak President Peter Pellegrini against Slovak Intelligence Service (SIS) head Pavol Gaspar regarding his last year's traffic accident are in line with the law, Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice-SD) stated on STVR's politics programme 'Sobotne dialogy' (Saturday Dialogues). His opponent on the show, House vice-chair Martin Dubeci of the opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party, agreed that the commencement of disciplinary proceedings in this matter was appropriate. However, he thinks that Gaspar should be dismissed as SIS head for other reasons. Dubeci welcomed the fact that the accident has been investigated and that no persons have suffered serious injuries, though he described the length of the investigation as "strange". Sutaj Estok remarked that accidents such as that of Gaspar are common in Slovakia, while he expects Gaspar's salary to be reduced as a result of the disciplinary proceedings. They also discussed the recent amendment to Parliament's Rules of Procedure. "We need to bring normality and decency back into politics. If someone cannot behave properly in Parliament, the rules of proper conduct must be clearly defined," said Sutaj Estok, adding that the coalition's goal is that Parliament should function effectively and pass legislation for the people's benefit. Dubeci said he didn't understand why speaking time had to be adjusted and expressed concern that the approved code of ethics for MPs could be interpreted one-sidedly. According to him, PS considers challenging the amendment before the Constitutional Court. BRATISLAVA - Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) rejects the interpretation of French President Emmanuel Macron's message from their joint meeting on Thursday (29 January) by certain media outlets, saying that their talks concerned the "strategic awakening of the EU" and that the agenda was exceptionally important, TASR reported on Saturday based on Fico's video posted on Facebook. Following the meeting with Fico, Macron started his post on the X network with words "strategic awakening", followed by a note about "more unity and solidarity to ensure our European independence". "The dailies Dennik N, SME, and Aktuality were falling over themselves to report that I had supposedly made some sort of a U-turn or that Slovakia was strategically awakening. Neither is true. I don't leak information from confidential conversations," said Fico, as stated in a transcript provided by the Government Office. "I'll never make any U-turns. At every meeting, whether held with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, US President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, or anyone else, Slovakia and its interests come first," he stated, adding that the Slovak government will communicate with everyone interested, including Cuba. In his video, Fico particularly highlighted the discussion with Macron regarding the EU, saying that he specifically aimed his sharp criticism at the European Commission and its plan to ban Russian gas imports by the end of 2027. The ban was approved by EU member states this week despite Hungary and Slovakia voting against, Both countries said they would file a lawsuit with the Court of Justice of the European Union over the voting method. BRATISLAVA - Slovak Foreign Affairs Minister Juraj Blanar (Smer-SD) departed for Southeast Asia on Saturday, with the working trip to Indonesia and Singapore scheduled to take place along with a business mission until 6 February, the Foreign Ministry's communications department told TASR on the same day, adding that the aim of his trip is to deepen bilateral relations with a focus on political dialogue and economic diplomacy. Starting his visit in Indonesia, the head of Slovak diplomacy will open Slovakia's Honorary Consulate in Bali. While in Jakarta, Blanar will also open the first Slovak-Indonesian Business Forum. On this occasion, he will hold talks with Secretary-General of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Kao Kim Hourn, and he is also due to meet with Chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN) Anindya Novyan Bakrie. In Jakarta, Blanar will meet with his Indonesian counterpart Sugiono and their bilateral talks will focus on intensifying dialogue with the new Indonesian government to foster investment and trade cooperation. The ministers will also discuss opportunities in the areas of defence, energy, innovation, and the digital economy. After the talks, they will sign an agreement on visa-free travel for holders of diplomatic and service passports. jrg